Under the Mask
by Zigbon
Summary: Zer0 forgets what he looks like under the mask, sometimes.
1. Shattered

\\A's N:Gaige's outfit is Pink Pandacorn, while Zero and Krieg have base outfit as theirs. This is going to be fun to write, as it won't be a one-shot./

Zer0 locked the door to his quarters, closing the blinds and making sure there was nothing in the room watching him, or recording him. He sighed bitterly, sitting on his bed. The frontal plate of his helm slid back, with some pressured air making a low hiss before he took the helmet off. He stood up, glaring at his mirror.

He stared at his face, memorizing every detail, every nook and cranny of his real face, the one under the veil of assassins' training and relentless murder. He bit his lip, looking down on his slender form before clenching and unclenching his fists. He stripped off the gloves, then the body armor that rested on his shoulders. He unsheathed his katana, putting the sheath and blade down next to his bed.

Zer0 glared at the mirror again, seeing how younger and less volatile he looked without obvious weaponry and protection. He stripped the Sham shield from his hip, tossing it onto his desk. He plucked his Maggie from his hip, placing the revolver onto his desk as well. he shifted through papers on the desk, until he found a photo of him before being an assassin. One of his early years, merely a toddler. He smiled mournfully at the picture, realizing how far he slipped from the innocent child to this.

He had only four fingers; bad genes, the doctor said. Seemed logical, as he had five toes. He shrugged them off at the time, and he still did now. He began stripping off his body suit, taking off the top part first. He looked inside his drawer, putting on a plain undershirt the replace the one he wore that day. He unclipped the top part of the suit from the bottom, taking those off as well. He put on a pair of gray briefs and went to lay down.

When he awoke the next day, he slipped his suit back on. He methodically clipped the upper part of the suit, zipping it up before turning to his helmet. He grabbed it, placing it on his head, as the frontal plate slid back down to conceal his features. He put his gloves on, then the armor. He averted his gaze to the desk, picking some of the papers and reading the haikus written on it. He made sure to memorize them, before placing them down. He clipped his Sham to his hip, forcefully gripping his Maggie as he left his room for another day of slaughtering. He met up with the others, giving Krieg a glance with a **[-: **glowing, illuminating Krieg's build with a crimson glow. Krieg nodded, visibly brightening at the chance of destruction.

This was his face now, the black glass that projected his emotions. He'd have to get used to that, it seemed. He saw Gaige get up too, following closely behind the Assassin and Psycho. Zer0 lead the back of Vault Hunters, accessing his Catch-A-Ride account and getting a Bandit Technical. He hopped in the driver's seat, while Krieg sat in the bed of the technical and Gaige manned the gunner's seat. He was too tired to speak, nonetheless talk with haiku. He had restlessly slept, waking up from a recurring nightmare in the early hours of the night. He had managed to sleep somewhat soundly afterward, but he was visibly affected by it.

He ran over a skag, the remnants of its existence splattered in front of him. He flicked on the wipers emotionlessly, waiting for the gore to rid itself from the windshield. Gaige glared at him with some sort of concern, although how much was debatable. Krieg was toying with his buzz saw, wordlessly staring at the rapidly changing surroundings. Gaige had her Severe Shreddifier strapped at her back, Krieg's Legendary buzz saw was his weapon of choice. Masochism became his speciality, making the other Hunters actually SHOOT him in the heat of battle, surprising the others but Zer0 only gave a curt nod, as Krieg had to have his reasonings.

They soon arrived at Thousand Cuts, and Zer0 parked the car inside the Slab camp. They don't come out to attack the Vault Hunters, ever since Brick was reunited with his old hunters at Sanctuary. These specific bandits came to terms that their leader WAS a Vault Hunter, so killing other Vault Hunters would get THEM killed. They were wise enough to just say their hellos and get on with their day, not bothering the Hunters that came by.

Sauntering down to the cave that lead to Terramorphus Peak, Zer0 brought about out his Barking Storm. "A Pearlescent?!" Gaige barked in surprise, staring at the technological terror in front of her with awe. Zer0 smirked under his helmet, nodding, before heading into the cave. He ignored her chants of 'gimme gimme' and paid the Eridum fee for the stone to split. He turned, silently inquiring their readiness. Gaige gave a smile, her eyes closing as she tilted her head; Zer0's face felt heated under his mask, before he looked at Krieg. Krieg, who was mashing his buzz axe's hilt into his forehead, screaming something about milky nipple salads.

Zer0's body language showed revulsion, but Krieg paid no mind as he stormed ahead. He turned to Gaige, who could sense what was under the mask was appalled, shrugged and moved forward. Zer0 did the same, after making sure he didn't throw up in his suit and helm.


	2. Br0ken

\A's N: So, yeah. This isn't a one shot; this is a set-up for another story, which is going to be fueled on ideas set for Zer0 and Gaige via review or PM; Krieg is in this as my original idea of Terramorphus (and just how dangerous said Thresher could be). I do not describe Zer0 because I want him to look like what YOU want him to be; As long as it's human, as I established in the chapter prior.

My personal idea is that he looks like Fang (hint hint wink wink that'll be a story someday), although some have him appearing like Raiden (MGS 2, If I recall. Been ages since I played Guns of the Patriots, or any to be honest) or others. I also have a joke head-canon that he's the secret fifth TMNT/

Zer0 and Gaige approached the hill that dropped them into the lair of Terramorphus. Krieg had already leaped into the fray, landing at the cliffside under the peak that Gaige and Zer0 stood. He turned to look at her. "Silence and stealth/ No longer needed for mission/ Guns ablaze with fury/" He took a few seconds to sound that out in his head before stoically saying such words and jumping from the hill to the gates below, where Krieg had just been. He let out a small grunt, appreciative of Pandora's generously good gravitational pull; Enough so you won't float into space, but one was able to land on cliffs thousands of feet below without spraining your ankle, or tiring your muscles.

Gaige landed beside him, still holding her miniskirt from giving Zer0 an inappropriate view as she descended. Something he was glad she did. She dusted off said skirt, before shrieking in surprise as the gate below gave way to let them into the battleground. Her miniskirt was left unchecked here, so Zer0 promptly looked away; Krieg was too busy trying to figure out how to summon the ungodly difficult Thresher to admire her choice of underwear anyway. He landed with a soft thud, another accompanying his a mere second later. "That damn gate will give me a heart attack." Gaige grumbled. Zer0's helm flashed a '**D:**' showing his concern for her. Her face burnt, shaking her head.

"I'll be f-fine." She stuttered, nodding at him. Zer0 nodded in return, before hearing Krieg scream of anger echo loudly, "I WILL PUT MY PAIN INTO YOUR SKULLS," before he heard a buzz saw smashing through bone. The pair glared at him, as he gave up trying to find how to work it, and just smashed it. His scream, however, worked. Terramorphus smashed through the raising bars of the gates, the Thresher's cry bouncing from the lake to the trio above. Zer0 made a beeline to the rocky outcrop nearby, taking aim with his Barking Storm. Gaige cracked her knuckles, grinning. "Time to get to BUSINESS!" Krieg shouted about fecal matter conducting, before he was launched by a burrowing Thresher named Terramorphus. Zer0 shot at one of it's eyes, the electricity dancing along it's large head and shocking it's other eyes. Krieg had launched his buzz saw, the slicing of bone audible to the Hunters. Gaige had began stacking her Anarchy, twenty five stacks amounting themselves and her shots became wild.

Zer0 hated watching her slip into such a state of anarchy. Her calm, gentle, soothing voice (And he shuddered, his face burning, as he thought this) turning into animalistic grunts and a severe case of God complex. But, Hell be damned, those bullets ripped like no other. She growled rather loudly as she fired her Shreddifer, the acid-coated bullets tearing through Terramorphus with extreme prejudice. In such blinding pain, the Thresher resorted to swiping his tentacles at the biggest sources of pain, knocking back Gaige at such speed it hurt to track her.

He shouted an expletive as she slammed into the rocks behind him, actually going through it slightly. Zer0's eyes widened under his helmet, and he ditched his sniper rifle to help her. He looked at Krieg, and their eyes met. Even through the two helmets, Krieg understood the glance the two had. Krieg knew it was as painful for him as much for her. And promptly distracted Terramorphus with explosives and buzz saws that weren't exactly soothing. The large Thresher emitte a rather high-pitch wail of pain, focusing on Krieg.

Zer0 enters the small indentation, watching a seemingly broken Gaige stare at him, blood pooled at her lips. "Remind me not to that again…" She chuckled dryly, no amusement behind the laugh. Zer0 shook his head, not amused by her antics. "That is it, Gaige/ Your Anarchy hurts us more/ than the opponent." He scooped her up, and even as she was so broken and bloody, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he carried her bridal style. "You said that wrong. Missed a syllable in the middle."

"Honestly, I don't give a shit." Zer0 hissed, "Your life is more important than poetry, Mechromancer." Gaige stared at him, her face burning in a blush. Zer0 gripped his Maggie awkwardly, shooting a few rounds down range at the Thresher. Soon, the abuse to it's body drove it away from the Vault Hunters, back to it's lair in the lake below. He holstered his Maggie, sprinting up the now open exit. Krieg followed behind, sprinting as fast as he could to get the young woman back to Sanctuary, especially to Zed.

Zer0 gently laid her in the technical's bed, before hopping into the driver's seat. Krieg leaped into the bed, watching Gaige and making sure she didn't pass out, or worse, die. Zer0 pressed his foot to the gas, and sped his way to the Fast Travel station. "Wouldn't it be better to off me?" Gaige spurted at Krieg, and the Psychopath shook his head. "He wouldn't be able to take it, nor I." He said quietly. "And the nipple salads would not be pleased at your disobedience by death. Death is punishable by defamation and death!" Krieg shouted victoriously, his buzz saw still tainted by Thresher blood.

"I-I didn't know he cared…" She whispered, unnoticed by Krieg. She saw Zer0 as the badass of the group, moreso then herself (which was saying something) and it developed into an unsightly crush. One she regretted having, as he seemed emotionless and distant from everyone else. Until the night before, where she heard him whimper and cry out in his sleep as she searched for snacks. He wasn't a robot, wasn't invincible, and he cared about _her_. Talk about fuel to the hormonal fire burning in the pit of her stomach. She felt very uncomfortable; so broken and turned on at the same time was not very good, as she felt even more broken without Zer0.

Her thoughts ended when Zer0 slammed the breaks, kicking the door so hard it flew off as he went to carry her again. He held her bridal style, and that did not help her growing problem downstairs. He wordlessly, and angrily, Fast-Traveled the trio to Sanctuary. As they digistructed back at Sanctuary, he again pounded his feet to the asphalt of the flying city, racing to Zed's clinic rather quickly. "Zed. Help would be very appreciated." Zer0 growled, placing her on the empty stretcher. Zed's eyes widened, before he shooed Zer0 out, getting to work on her.

Zer0 and Krieg were outside the clinic when he started fixing her up.

And, soon, Zer0 was alone.

Around five hours later, Gaige walked outside. Zer0 had passed out standing up, three z's splayed in front of him, bathing her in crimson. When he heard footsteps, he snapped awake, looking at the noise. She smiled, "Good as new!" Zer0 _hugged_ her tightly in response.


	3. L0ck and Key

A few days after the Terramorphus incident, Gaige and Zer0 had quite the awkward situation at hand. The Assassin was wandering the headquarters Roland used to occupy, shirtless and without a mask, encountered a Gaige with a towel wrapped around her feminine parts; She had just showered. Zer0 thought it would be safe. Why? It was three in the morning, and he thought going up to train in the bitter cold of the highest altitudes, since Sanctuary was a flying city, would be beneficial.

It started when Zer0 had rose to the rooftops at one in the morning to begin his testing his resistance to cold, outside of his armor. After he finished his minor endurance training, meditating in the cold, he then practiced his swordsmanship by fencing with the bitter wind lashing at him, causing the long hair the man donned to sway and join the wind's howling as it lashed below his eyes. When he decided his training was good enough, after two hours, he shimmied down some buildings, walking through the front door.

Gaige also was awake at this time, dusting her pony figurines or just doing something because she couldn't sleep. If she went to sleep, she'd have more dreams about the one who refused to let her die, to take the easy way out and make her respawn. It was touching, and something that drove her wild.

Knowing he cared was the only thing she needed to realize that she didn't have a crush any longer, that it was something much heavier. Heavy enough to make her thoughts always relate to Zer0, or for her hormones to make her itch and ache in places where she'd want his touch to be, without armor and with the feel of skin and heat; And it downright scared the young adult how her thoughts were so... sensual.

And now, at three AM, was Zer0. Without armor, without a damn top, and she could see his muscles and _face_ in all it's glory.

Gaige's first response was the flooding of color to her face as she looked Zer0 up and down; She took a cold shower to avert her hormones and now whatever deity that watched over Pandora decided to smack a shirtless, _unmasked_ Zer0 in front of her. The assassin cursed bitterly, dark locks of hair descending upon him as he looked down. He blushed with embarrassment; The first to see him so _human, _and that made him feel weak- scratch that, it made him feel weak because of his training as a stealthy, deadly thing. Not a human, a _thing_.

Gaige's response, however, was not laughing at him. It was a groan; "Why do you have to be so you…" She gasped, her face boiling in heat, as was the rest of her. He looked up at her with a slight curious look in his features, before resuming a neutral thin line of a mouth, crossing his arms. She was biting her lip ferociously, looking at him as if he was Christmas dinner and she hadn't eat in months. Something in her eyes burned, and such a feral light nearly scared Zer0.

"G-Gaige?" He stuttered. Zer0's hair was in a beaten, messy ponytail, and his bangs obscured the top of his face, along with olive green eyes and a neutral frown, turning into an embarrassed scowl.

He didn't know if her response was a moan or a flat noise of assurance, and he prayed that he could finish this sentence without something going amok.

"Don't tell ANYONE about this." His katana was attached to his hip by his hand, his armor replaced by baggy sweatpants; She squinted and saw the smallest line of boxer briefs, just a small piece of waistband, and she resisted panting like a dog. She bit her lip.

"They won't hear a word, because you're mine." She growled with such a firm, sexual tone at him, making him look up in astonishment and slight embarrassment. She grasped his hand firmly, tugging him up stairs as he hissed with distaste before being thrown in a room painted a dark lavender with several collections of pony figurines placed neatly on shelves.

Apparently, the pegasister and brony 'race' still existed on Eden-5.

What he didn't expect, however, was being pushed onto her bed from behind, followed by a soft _thud. _He turned on the bed, his eyes widening as a NAKED Gaige stood before him; She was licking her lips in a predatory way.

"Uh-oh." Was all Zer0 could get out before his predator pounced.

* * *

When he awoke in the morning, under a pink blanket on a featherbed with the lack of armor (besides his katana that was flung away from him as he was pushed onto the bed the night before) and a weight to the left of him, he could only smile warmly. He turned his head, the bright red locks of Gaige greeting him. She was latched onto his body tightly, and he knew whatever they did last night was… amazing,

The small of lavender and _sweat_ wafted around him semi-comfortably, and a light snore came from Gaige, more cute and endearing then anything. She woke up shortly after the assassin, drowsily kissing him; There was a lack of lust, of desire and want, but caring and passion and _need_ were definitely present, and lingered as she pulled away.

Zer0 could get used to that. Now, the real task was to sneak back to his room undetected. He was an assassin for a reason; But that reasoning unraveled the night before. As he rose, Gaige's grip tightening, pulling him back down. "You aren't leaving." She murmured, pressing her chest into his arm. He blushed, smiling, laying back down and cuddling the one he cared for.

Daresay love.


	4. Rec0llecti0n

Zer0 was still stuck in Gaige's room, clothed in his sweatpants and boxers from the night before. He was sitting up in her bed as she was getting dressed, and that's when his morality hit him. What had he done to her? His hair was no longer in a ponytail, the long, dark tresses reaching his mid back. He casually glanced at Gaige, who in turn smiled at him before stifling a yawn.

Zer0 couldn't think of any certain thing. Did he steal her last piece of innocence, or give her something to latch onto and help her stay sane in times of need? Did she really need him, or was last night lust, desire?

He couldn't get it straight in his head. Nothing seemed right anymore; Zer0 was so used to being cold, calculated and a thing. Not a human- a warm, in the flesh man who had just suddenly slept with the person he would care for and protect. She was dealt a shit hand, and he'd tried everything in his power to protect her, make her happy.

Did this make her happy?

He could tell she was certainly… gleeful. She was arranging her ponies, humming a tune he couldn't recognize, and he suppressed a chuckle. He stretched, his pale form entering her vision once more. She turned to him, her hair still down from the night before. "Zer0, what's your real name."

Zer0's eyes widened at the question, which sounded more like a demand, and he shook his head. "I don't remember…" He half-lied. "I remember my codename because that's all I've been called for a little over a decade now." He sighed, never thinking being open to someone would be so difficult.

She whispered something he didn't quite catch, before she sat next to him, and wrapped his arms around him tightly. "It's okay. You'll still be you, even if all you remember is your assassin's name."

This confused Zer0. Still be him..?

"What do you mean?" He inquired, his olive eyes catching hers. "You know what this means, right?" She almost purred, sitting in his lap. His morality struck a chord with his heartstrings, but he continued on despite his guilt. "Spell it out for me." He said plainly.

She leaned against him, head lying in the space between his head and shoulder, her hair tickling his chin and jawline. While she was now dressed in her usual attire, minus the ragged jacket she used while exploring colder areas like the Tundra Express, she looked and felt different. Maybe it was the look in her eyes, or just how he couldn't see her as a girl anymore.

She was a woman, something that sparked fire in his soul that he thought was long forgotten. He couldn't decipher if this was love of a couple, or the love of someone like family. Her arms were wrapped firmly around his neck, her legs locked behind him. She kissed him once, twice, before his guilt rose and he had to let it out.

"Gaige, I can't." He sighed suddenly. "I don't know if this is right." He looked away from her, the pony figures he nearly chuckled at before becoming far more interesting. She let her head fall back onto his shoulder.

"Does this make you… happy, Gaige?" He asked sincerely, his eyes glancing down at her. She shuffled, and he felt her nod into his shoulder.

"Then I'll be happy." Zer0 said, and she rose her head from and looked at him. They stared at each other for a few seconds, before he kissed her on the forehead.

"I need my armor now. You have to keep this a big secret. Locked and key thrown away." He spoke to her seriously, and she giggled.

"Scout's honor." She said, and he grinned widely. "You have honor?" He chuckled.

Thus began the royal beat-down of the assassin.


End file.
